Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1968 NO. 16 >

(1) A fire protection district which has both full time, paid firemen and volunteer firemen in its fire service may provide civil service coverage for its full time, paid firemen under the provisions of RCW 52.36.060. (2) A fire protection district which determines to provide civil service coverage for its full time, paid firemen under RCW 52.36.060, is thereby governed by all the provisions of chapter 41.08 RCW to the same extent as a city or town. (3) Members of a board of fire commissioners of a fire protection district which establishes a civil service system for its full time paid firemen under RCW 52.36.060 may not simultaneously serve as members of the civil service commission.

AGO 1987 NO. 17 >

The Board of Tax Appeals may appoint, discharge and fix the compensation of non-exempt employees listed in RCW 82.03.070 under the guidelines and requirements of chapter 41.06 RCW.

AGO 1972 NO. 19 >

The board of trustees of a community college may not adopt a rule establishing a mandatory retirement age of 65 years for all of its classified civil service employees who are also members of the Washington public employees' retirement system, without regard to the particular jobs which they hold.

AGO 1989 NO. 20 >

Because of RCW 41.08.040 and RCW 41.12.040, the secretary/chief examiner of a civil service commission created under chapter 41.08 or chapter 41.12 RCW must be either an existing employee of the city or a city resident; these provisions were left undisturbed when the current versions of RCW 41.08.075 and 41.12.075 were enacted.

AGO 1974 NO. 22 >

The provisions of RCW 41.04.010, as amended by § 1, chapter 170, Laws of 1974, 1st Ex. Sess., do not permit the use of the "veterans' preference" on a competitive entrance examination for covered public employment by a veteran who has claimed a similar preference and has thereby been previously appointed to a position which is subject to that statute, even though the employment thus obtained was with a different state agency, municipal corporation or political subdivision.

AGO 1974 NO. 24 >


A fire protection district which has, by resolution, established a civil service program for its full-time paid firemen under RCW 52.36.060 may not later rescind that resolution and abolish such program in the absence of specific statutory authorization.

AGO 1953 NO. 24 >

The chief of police and members of the department may be required to take an examination for their respective positions.  The City of Enumclaw may not employ more than two full-time paid police officers without having form of civil service for its police department.  The City of Enumclaw may not require the members of its police to take competitive examinations without establishing a civil service commission, pursuant to chapter 13 of the Laws of 1937, when it employs more than two full-time paid officers.

AGO 1983 NO. 27 >

(1) The Washington State Convention and Trade Center corporation which was created pursuant to § 2, chapter 34, Laws of 1982 to construct and operate the State convention and Trade Center is a state agency for purposes of the state civil service law, chapter 41.06 RCW.(2) Identification, based upon the foregoing conclusion, of those offices or positions within the corporation which are, nevertheless, exempt from civil service coverage under RCW 41.06.070.

AGO 1991 NO. 27 >

RCW 41.14.260 provides that a city police officer transferring to a county sheriff's office pursuant to RCW 41.14.250 shall have the same rights, benefits and privileges as the officer would have been entitled to if the officer had been a member of the sheriff's office since the beginning of the officer's employment with the city.  Pursuant to this statute, the officer's seniority is determined by the date of the officer's original hire with the city.

AGO 1961 NO. 27 >

(1 and 2) The Commissioner of Public Lands and the Board of Natural Resources are not covered by the new state civil service law.(3) Confidential secretaries and administrative assistants in the immediate administrative structure of the office organization of an elected official are not covered by the civil service law.(4) Part time or seasonal help in the Department of Natural Resources who have been determined by the Director to be skilled or unskilled labor employed temporarily on force‑account construction and maintenance projects or employed on temporary seasonal single phases of agricultural production or harvesting are not covered by the civil service law.